FREE SPEECH VICTORY FOR DAY LABORERS

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, ruled in favor of day laborer groups in a precedent-setting case litigated by the Lawyers’ Committee and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The Ninth Circuit held that Redondo Beach’s ban on seeking work, business, or contributions in many public areas was an unconstitutional speech restriction. This is the first published federal appellate decision recognizing day laborers’ right to seek work in public spaces.